How To Start A Vinyl Collection For Beginners

Vinyls are cool again. Audiophiles appreciate the quality of the music. Collectors are interested in grabbing a piece of musical history. Others are just interested in flipping them for profit.

Regardless of your intentions when collecting vinyl records, there are a few tips, tricks and points you should know–

It’s Ok To Listen Before You Buy

With any used vinyls, you can closely analyze a vinyl, but until you actually listen to it, you’ll never know if the sound quality has been compromised. The reason for this being that many cheap turntables can put too much pressure on the vinyl while playing and distort the integrity. However if you’re buying a new vinyl, chances are it’s fine.

Price Is Based On Supply And Demand

Like nearly everything, the price of a vinyl is going to be based on supply and demand. Dealing with an old, rare vinyl that the store has never seen before? You better believe that record store will mark up that price beyond what other vinyls are being sold for. Other qualities that affect price? Whether it’s in its original wrapping, whether it has any scratches on it, and the quality of the sleeve.

It’s Ok To Try And Discover New Music

Vinyls are one of the only sort of collectibles where the experience you get from them is just as important as the monetary value, so dismiss the notion of staying within your comfort zone. Sure, grab your favorite band’s vinyl if you come across it, but don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions for other bands in a genre you really enjoy, or even further, explore completely new genres.

It’s Ok To Start With Vinyls Under $5

Vinyls are generally not expensive. But as a beginner collector, it may seem weird to you to buy a vinyl for a couple of dollars since we are conditioned to believe that a truly valuable or desirable collectible needs to be expensive.

Buy Vinyls From All Different Places

We occasionally sell vinyls in our eBay collectible auctions, so be sure to check those out every once in awhile. For suggestions, there’s no better place to go than your local record store. You can also keep an eye out at estate sales, garage sales and Craigslist.

If you have any questions regarding buying or selling vinyl records, don’t hesitate to call us at 800-326-7064!